He is the tiniest baby we've ever had and though it's hard to tell from the pictures, he looks so much like August. Manny and I are still in South Florida waiting for some paperwork to get itself sorted (please, please get yourself sorted, Paperwork). I was supposed to fly home today but due to the holiday, it will probably be another week. Happily, I have Lynne Rosetto Casper to keep me company (there's nothing like a lot of food talk to get you through a food-based celebration).

I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to going home and seeing my boys or how happy I am to be holding this one.

I have not been terribly attached or nostalgic about either my pregnancy with Sam or our process to bring August home. Granted, there is not much to be gah-gah over when it comes to puking up california rolls (dang avocado) or lost paperwork. I measured milestones by what we were getting done and not so much about what we were working towards-- because in some ways, the outcome was all inevitable. One way or another, that baby was coming out. One way or another, that baby was coming home.

I feel that changing slightly with this news. In part, because it's been so unexpected and partly because small mountains are being moved every day and I know it is all working. I am trying to document these little miracles for him-- so that he knows that even though he was unexpected, we and everyone involved (down to the FedEX guy) appeared to be ready for him.

I'm leaving on Sunday ready or not, and when I go we will have accomplished a whole lot-- little and big. On the little side-- and this is going to sound stupid to some of you, but it's what we people do apparently-- I'm working to finish up things like my quilt blocks, Backtack, and Christmas gifts. They are going in the mail this week because otherwise I will think about them and it will drive me crazy. Also, I finished a Liberty Lawn Tunic which I will blog about in great detail (you lucky, lucky people) because it is awesome and I can't believe I actually cut into that fabric.

On the big side... well, there is so much. We feel very full. And you are part of that. We feel propped up by your support and propelled by so much love. Thank you, thank you. You are good people. I have not had time to cry, but I will. Very soon.

(***Portland Peeps: Okay, I've been working craigslist pretty hard, but I'm just about out of patience. Does anybody have a tiny baby sling/carrier/wrap that I could borrow for a little while? I'm traveling alone and I don't think my sling or my ergo will accommodate Mr. 7 lbs. We are also looking for a good/easy to manuever and collapse double stroller to borrow briefly or to buy. That baby up there is going to need some restraining if we plan on leaving the house ever again. mdfrantz (at) hotmail dot com. )

I've written this post a hundred different ways in the last two days
but this is all I've got: I'm going to fly out to Florida in the next
week or so and bring home a baby boy. (That would be BBF2, for those of
you keeping track.)

He was born earlier this week to August's mama, our sweet J, and she decided to place him. They called us on Wednesday to let us know. We were surprised-- the kind of surprised that should only come around once or twice in a lifetime, I think. I told the agency we would let them know by the end of the day. I had called them back by noon.

The timing part of all of this was not part of The Plan. But if you know us at all, you know we are all about The New Plan, and this appears to be it.

So, bear with me here. It won't be a done deal until I am flying back on that plane to Portland. I wanted to let you know though, because I didn't want to cause any heart attacks or be accused of keeping something like this under wraps. There are no wraps. You can only imagine the mountains we have to move to get this all done-- but we're doing it! And we are so, so happy about it.

A hundred years ago (in craft world time) I bought the book, Crafter's Companion. I liked it a good amount and then I put it away on the shelf. Too bad I got some cute stuck in my craw.

These pouches from My Little Mochi would not let me be. They are sweet, the pattern is good and easy to follow, and I feel satisfied that I followed my "use at least two patterns" book purchase justification. I cheated a little bit since I only used the one pattern (the elephant pouch is detailed in the book and I made the monkey one by following the picture), but I'm calling it good.

**

I missed Martha's update today and I am a little heartbroken... Uh, it was awesome.

I have these boys that are one day going to be even bigger boys. This is at once terrifying and totally exhilarating. Steph knows. And it would appear that her new site might be the next best thing to being her neighbor and letting all that Boy good seep over the fence (like there would be a fence).

The Eggplant and I went to Anthro the other night after class (where, among other things, we were able to celebrate the election over a mediocre sandwich with some zealous first time voters anxious to explain the electoral college) and as usual, I was stuck in the kitchen section trying to justify new accessories. Where do they get their textiles?!! I have a feeling I should never be allowed inside a "available to the trade" only show, as my head might explode.

I am hesitant to make these sorts of things as gifts, but I suspect that lots of people don't justify the purchase of cute towels/mitts and that they might make very good gifts after all. The key is to use something like insulbrite on the inside, which makes it more heat resistant than standard batting. A package will set you back less than 10 dollars (you'll have a season's worth of giving) and what you get will be cute AND very functional.

My favourite kind of mitts are the square kind that double as pot holders. They are easier to make than traditional mitts, too. The one in the picture is from a damaged estate sale tea towel. I'm finally switching out my frying pans (I know, I'm behind on this one) despite getting repeatedly burned by my new small cast iron skillet. Not anymore, sucka'. Handle covers (that one is out of Japanese fabric scraps) might be a nice thing to include for your next wedding registry purchase of cast iron. I know... we give all the sexy gifts.

I've been mostly writing on the weekends-- or on the cusp of the weekends-- since that seems to be the time when my mind is mostly in order. I say mostly because I have been lacking a good amount of order and decisiveness in my week which amounts to a lot of staring into space at the end of the day. It is my free time, but dang it if I can make a good decision about how to use it these days. For me, it has been one of the only differences between having one or two children. With Sam, I was still capable of a good amount of focus and energy at the end of the day-- I also worked part-time up until Augie came home, which makes me think maybe I should start doing that again.

I am sure fatigue has something to do with it. I am also quite sure that the dynamic of brothers and all their violent love for each other has a little to do with it. They tap me out, Man.

Generally speaking, I can muster a little stick-to-it-edness on the weekends and so here we are: Friday and full of determination. (And if Tuesday's election results aren't going to kick me into gear, I don't know what will.**)

Miss Four is having a little shindig this afternoon and Sam picked out the greatest/creepiest book for her-- Fairy Houses and Beyond. I don't know if Amy is going to like me more or less after she sees it. The pictures are kind of crazy from a technical standpoint and we probably should have gotten her the first one, since the "Beyond" part makes it sound like you stepped in the middle of something. Seriously though, I can get down with a good fairy house and their website is somethin' else. Do you have a fairy house? I need to get Sam on this STAT, before he get even more gender specific with his play

We made her a flower crown, too, from my stash of fake flowers. I wouldn't say that I'm the sort of person to have a stash of fake flowers, but there you go. They make sweet little bouquets that get the preschool set all excited. Plus, they are cheap to make and they last forever (I'll admit, the forever part is creepy in the whole save-the-planet sort of way).

Other girlie gifts in the same vein: The eeBoo catalogue is very, very nice. We got the paper dolls (they are actually the vinyl sticker kind) for another birthday party this weekend and the Sketchbook/Pencil page is also quite good. Spending a half hour at a toy store looking at all this stuff is about as girlie as I'm able to get these days.

** And now for Tuesday. It was a good, good day and I am still surprised at how quickly it all happened-- surprised and so relieved. There is so much to be done and murky results would have wasted so much time. This whole Proposition 8 business is no good however, and I'm devastated that fear and misinformation won out in Arkansas, where single parents will be denied the opportunity to adopt or provide foster care to children who need safe and loving adults in their lives. I feel like we should be able to do better than that.

This is the sort of week I started dreading last week. It's full of things I'd rather not think about. This last weekend was a good one, though.

Blair came. Good friends are life-giving. We went to the Life and Limb for the 3191 opening. I really love that book, and besides that my arm and right boob are featured prominently on page 116. You're welcome.

Halloween. It was Paul's first time home with us, the weather was perfect, and Sam wore his costume from last year. EASY. Plus, my sister and her family was here, and there's nothing much better than a baby in a beaver costume. Oh wait-- two babies in beaver costumes.

We got two days with Cute and Cuter (my niece and nephew). They all did so well together, which is saying something for 2 babies (one of which who thinks he's not a baby), a 2 1/2 year old, and Mr. Social. Sam is getting to be such a big guy. He's becoming smart and kind and maybe, maybe we're seeing the end of the whole selfish small person thing. It is good.

The rain has come. This is a good thing even though, despite our best intentions, we didn't get all (any) of our leaves up. So we are yellow for a while which is just fine with me.

And lastly-- NUMBER 114, Jennifer W. won the free bags from Delight last week. Thanks for commenting everybody. I put that coupon code to good use.